SHIMLA: The veteran leader of rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party Atal Bihari Vajpayee Monday cautioned the left parties that any association with the Congress I on the proposed convention of communalism would only help the discredited Congress I leadership to Stage a comeback.

It would also drive a wedge between the parties supporting Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh’s National Front Government, he said. The National Front government which has a thin majority in the parliament needs the support of both BJP and the left parties to keep on going.

Vajpayee said that there was a feeling among the people that the proposed convention was being held to “isolate” the BJP and forge links with Congress (I) to facilitate new alignments.

He said this feeling arose despite denials by the leftist leaders that there was no move to realignment of political forces.

Vajpayee said the need to combat communalism was always present but the foremost task before the country was to thwart the grave challenge posed by secessionist forces.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 1, 1990